


The Right Number

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode: s08e13 Per Manum, F/M, fluff-ish, mulder's donation, there is no angst here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 20:54:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19753630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: Mulder is the last person she expects to see at the fertility clinic.





	The Right Number

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Here's my number."

Mulder is the last person she expects to see at the fertility clinic. He’s in the waiting room, reading a magazine with a cute, chubby baby on the cover as if he belonged there.

“What are you doing here?” Several heads turn, not just Mulder’s. Judging by his expression he is as surprised as she is.

“I was just going to ask you the same question,” he says and she’s inclined to ask him if he’s kidding. But his face, for once, is devoid of humor; he’s serious.

“Dr. Parenti is my doctor,” she whispers but with emphasis. Mulder nods.

“I know. That’s why I’m here.” If it weren’t for the soft blush appearing on his cheeks, she’d still have no idea what he is talking about. But then she gets it. The reason why he’s here. 

The donation. 

“You’re- that’s today? You didn’t say anything?” Scully is aware that she’s rambling, but she can’t stop herself.

“You said you had to leave early today. So I called the office and uhm, said I was free. I didn’t realize your appointment was here. Great minds, huh?” He gently elbows her and grins. She could have avoided this awkward encounter if only she had mentioned it to him. But, as so often, she kept quiet. 

Scully turns to him. He has one finger on the article he must have been reading: 5 Things Every Pregnant Woman Should Do At Least Once. Next time, she decides, she is going to be honest with him. Lay it all on the table. If this is happening, them having a baby together, they need to work on their communication skills. 

“You wanna grab something to eat after?” Mulder asks, searching her face. How can he be so calm about this? She wonders what they look like to the other patients. Mostly women on their own. A few other men are there as well, holding hands, looking nervous. Not Mulder. He’s the kind of guy who reads pregnancy magazines. 

“Hm? Eat?”

“You know, food. Nutrition. I just read an article that-”

“Number 33, Fox Mulder.” The friendly nurse Scully has seen around a few times is wearing a smile and waiting for number 33, Fox Mulder to follow her.

“That’s me,” he whispers to Scully, his mouth much too close to her ear. “Here’s my number. Keep it safe for me?” he adds with a wink and she swears his lips brush her cheek. A small piece of paper lands in her lap as Mulder walks off with the nurse. Scully picks it up and unfolds it. Number 33, it says. The clinic has introduced the number system a while ago to make it more efficient - and to prevent mismatches. 

She stares at the small piece of paper that’s, she realizes now, missing a corner. Mulder must have been anxious, nervous. Right now - and she wills herself not to blush; she’s a doctor, after all - he is getting ready to jerk off. For her. Into a small, sterile cup. For her.

The least she can do is take him to dinner afterwards. Scully looks at the magazine Mulder has been reading. There’s a smudgy fingerprint on the page right next to the suggestion that every pregnant woman should eat a whole tube of ice cream by herself. Scully rolls her eyes. She closes the magazine and puts it back on the pile with all the others. Her fingers prod and tear at the small piece of paper. Mulder said to keep it safe. She smiles; he and his weird sense of humor. Trying not to think about what exactly Mulder is doing right now, she stares at the paper and notices something she hasn’t before: Mulder’s handwriting.

There, on the back, is a short note: buy ice cream for Scully. Tears prick at her eyes. Only Mulder would take a nonsense article like that to heart.

“Hey, you’re still here?”

“What?” Mulder is back in the waiting room. He couldn’t have been gone longer than ten minutes. Scully looks at him, wants to ask but doesn’t dare. It took him less than ten minutes to… donate. 

“You’re done with your appointment?” he asks, sitting back down. She can’t help but wonder if he’s watched his hands. 

“Mulder, I haven’t even been in there! I didn’t expect you back so soon.” His smile is sheepish and he looks away from her, searching for the magazine.

“I told you I’m a pro.”

“You don’t have to wait for me,” Scully assures him, quickly changing the topic. She doesn’t want to talk about - or even think about - Mulder masturbating while they’re in a full waiting room. “It’s just a check-up.”

“What if I want to wait?” he asks. Scully swallows. If she’s honest with herself, she wants him to stay. 

“We could get something to eat after.” He smiles brightly at her. Before she can say more, her name is called. 

“Hey, Scully?” She turns to him. “You still got my number?”

She holds it up for him to see. “Do you want it back?”

“Keep it,” he says and reaches for the magazine again. “It’s yours.”


End file.
